North West Leicestershire District Council leader Cllr Richard Blunt says the new £22.5million leisure centre is all part of 'changing Coalville'.

The Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre officially opens to the public on Monday at 6am in what is an impressive addition to the town.

But Cllr Blunt also feels that the building is part of a wider regeneration of the area designed to improve Coalville as a whole.

He includes the ongoing redevelopment of the Belvoir Shopping Centre, and the proposed changes to Marlborough Square in that.

"This is an outstandingly designed building, we knew that from the moment it started to take shape," Cllr Blunt told Coalville Nub News.

"I think people will think as they drive past: 'That's a great looking building, I'll go and take a look at it'.

"It should invite people, come in, have a cup of coffee, we want to encourage people who haven't been going to leisure centres to visit regularly."

Cllr Blunt says the new facility can become a focal point for Coalville.

There are events planned, including the Armageddon darts night on April 22 - which, with 800 fans expected, is due to be the first major date on the centre's calendar.

Cllr Blunt added: "Stephenson College is a 21st century building which put Coalville on the map.

"So, each new building of quality such as this is not just about creating a leisure opportunity and getting them fit, it says that Coalville is changing.

"We wanted to put it closer to the Belvoir Centre but there wasn't room, we couldn't have got this quality of building there.

"But we didn't give up, we had this piece of land here which was technically green field but had been used for golf.

"It was a bit of a challenge, planning wise to decide whether we should go here, but we did.

"Now we have a building that people might see driving back from work from Leicester to Ashby and want to give it a go, thinking 'Coalville is changing'.

"A thousand little nudges like that is how you change Coalville, you don't do it with one thing.

"One day, the aim is for Coalville to be exactly as popular as Ashby, there will be no choice between the two.

"It'll be like crossing one side of the same road, four miles apart.

"Buildings like this will be a message to people: Come to Coalville."